My Blind Brother: EW review

My Blind Brother has a fatal weakness that is spelled out right in its title. The romantic comedy about a sibling love triangle takes the side of a deadbeat named Bill (Nick Kroll), not his disabled marathon-running brother, Robbie (Adam Scott). As the less accomplished sibling, Bill lives in Robbie’s shadow and Just Can’t Get It Together. It’s a cynical twist that could have fueled some wicked comedy, but the result has all the edge of a preteen playing with a lighter.

The siblings’ object of competitive affection is Rose (fellow Parks and Recreation alum Jenny Slate). The comic talent on hand is impressive, but in an hour and a half, the movie — written and directed by Sophie Goodhart — can’t muster the laughs, heart, and surprise that the NBC mockumentary packed into even one 23-minute episode.

Though My Blind Brother clearly isn’t aiming for the feel-good realm, the emotions never ring true enough to make any of the purposely flawed leads relatable, never mind likable. Its tired indie trappings (arrested development, dull cynicism) turn the film into its own kind of marathon. C-